There are calls for a second vet school to be established in Ireland, due to the shortage of vets.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Jimmy Quinn, a practicing vet and a member of a veterinary working group formed to bring about reform in veterinary education, said the group is looking for a second Munster-based vet school to be established.

“There is a chronic shortage of vets to work in mixed and large animal practices in rural Ireland. Currently, of the 300 vets going on the register annually, less than 25% are being educated in Ireland,” Quinn said.

The group says the shortage of vets is starting to impact on veterinary services in some regions, with issues arising in particular with emergency night time cover in remote areas.

Of the 300 vets going on the register annually, less than 25% are being educated in Ireland

Over 20% of registered vets in Munster are over 60 years of age, with many unable to retire due to the demand in particular for large animal vets.

There are currently 80 vacancies in practices for vets in Ireland.

The veterinary course in UCD produces approximately 70 Irish graduates each year, which is about one-quarter of the annual requirement for vets annually.

This pinch point has led to a situation where hundreds of Irish students are forced to go to the UK and eastern Europe for their veterinary studies.

The majority of these vets do not return to practice as large animal vets in Ireland.

“We have made good progress with the campaign in the last 10 months and recently met the Ministers for Agriculture and Higher Education and also Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

“We are engaged in discussions with both University College Limerick and University College Cork, which have shown strong interest in hosting a new vet school,” Quinn said.

Support

The group has garnered a growing support base, with XL Vets also rowing in behind the proposal.

Dr Joe Collins, president of Veterinary Ireland, also commented: “I support the concept of a new veterinary faculty to bring fresh thinking and innovative solutions to the issues of student selection, veterinary training and retention of vets in clinical practice.”